Joshua 3:9

Joshua 3:9 says,  And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God.  Joshua did not call the people to hear his words, but to hear the words of God.  When we gather together today in the name of God, we need to make sure that it is His word that tis being proclaimed.  I believe that even more than that, when we as Christians go out into the world that we should have everything that we say reflect our relationship with God.  Verse ten states, And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites.  Joshua said that they were going to be able to know that God was with them and was able to drive out all the people who stood before them in the promised land.  As followers of Christ, we must never forget that God is with us and will enable us to do anything that He calls us to do, no matter how great the task.  Verse eleven declares, Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.  The people of Israel were to know that God was with them because the Ark of the Covenant of the Lord was to pass over the Jordan before them.  We today have no physical sign that God is with us, but by faith know that Jesus Christ has already defeated sin and death for us.  Verse twelve states, Now therefore take you twelve men out of the tribes of Israel, out of every tribe a man.  Each of the twelve tribes was to select one man to represent them.  As Christians today, every believer has the same Man to represent them before God, and that Man is Jesus Christ.  Verse thirteen proclaims,  And it shall come to pass, as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon an heap.  As with the Red Sea, the waters were to part.  This didn't happen before the priests set foot in the water, but as they did.  Had the priests not stepped out in faith in the God of the whole earth, the water would not have parted.  Until we step out in faith, God may never accomplish very much through us.  If we are waiting until we feel that everything is perfectly safe before doing what God has called us to do, then we may always be on the bank on the other side of the promised land.  Verse fourteen states, And it came to pass, when the people removed from their tents, to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people;  Verse fifteen adds, And as they that bare the ark were come unto Jordan, and the feet of the priests that bare the ark were dipped in the brim of the water, (for Jordan overfloweth all his banks all the time of harvest,)  The people got ready to follow the priests, who came to the Jordan that was overflowing.  This, like the parting of the Red Sea, was not some marshy area or shallow river, but an overflowing one.  Sometimes, it may seem that things are overwhelming, but if we act in faith, God will mke a way fir us to do what He calls us to do.  Verse sixteen declares, That the waters which came down from above stood and rose up upon an heap very far from the city Adam, that is beside Zaretan: and those that came down toward the sea of the plain, even the salt sea, failed, and were cut off: and the people passed over right against Jericho.  The Jordan river piled up on one side and dried up on the other side of the priests and the people passed over.  If the people around them were watching and had not already heard of the power of God, it would seem that this should have shown them His power.  When we are doing what God calls us to do today, we must make sure that the lost people of the world know that God is the power behind what we do.  Verse seventeen adds, And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.  The priests stood firm in the middle of the Jordan until all the people of Israel had passed over on dry ground.  We today must stand firm in our calling through Christ until we have passed over to the promised land, which for us is heaven.

Joshua 3:1

Joshua 3:1 says, And Joshua rose early in the morning; and they removed from Shittim, and came to Jordan, he and all the children of Israel, and lodged there before they passed over.  Joshua and the people of Israel got an early start, and came to the Jordan, where they stopped before they passed over.  Once again, they were on the edge of the promised land.  In this life, we will always be camped on the edge of the promised land.  Though we can never pass over until we die or Christ returns, we must always be ready to go.  Verse two states, And it came to pass after three days, that the officers went through the host;  They were camped there for three days.  Verse three declares, And they commanded the people, saying, When ye see the ark of the covenant of the LORD your God, and the priests the Levites bearing it, then ye shall remove from your place, and go after it.  Then, the officers went throughout the host, the people of Israel, and said that when they saw the ark of the covenant and the priests bearing it that they were to follow it.  The ark of the covenant represented the presence of God.  Today, we need to make sure that we are following the will of God when we move to do something for Him.  Since the Holy Spirit is with us always, we must simply seek God's leadership in all that we do and not move on without that leadership.  Verse four adds, Yet there shall be a space between you and it, about two thousand cubits by measure: come not near unto it, that ye may know the way by which ye must go: for ye have not passed this way heretofore.  The people were told to keep a space between themselves and the ark of the covenant, and then to follow where it went, because they were going where they had never been before.  Though we do not have a physical separation between us and the Holy Spirit if we are followers of Christ, we still need to make sure that wherever we go, even if it is somewhere that we have never been before, that we are following the leadership of God.  Verse five proclaims, And Joshua said unto the people, Sanctify yourselves: for to morrow the LORD will do wonders among you.  Joshua told the people to sanctify themselves, because tomorrow God was going to do wonders among them.  I believe that if we are going to see God do great wonders among us today that we as His people must first sanctify ourselves.  The lost people of the world are definitely not going to sanctify themselves before God, but we as Christians can never afford not to, and we can only be sanctified by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  Verse six adds, And Joshua spake unto the priests, saying, Take up the ark of the covenant, and pass over before the people. And they took up the ark of the covenant, and went before the people.  Joshua told the priests to take the ark of the covenant and pass over before the people.  Again, this represented God going ahead of them.  Verse seven declares, And the LORD said unto Joshua, This day will I begin to magnify thee in the sight of all Israel, that they may know that, as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee.  God told Joshua that as of that day He would begin to magnify Joshua so that the people would know that He was with Joshua just as He had been with Moses.  Earthly leaders may come and go, but God will always remain the same, and He will call people to various tasks in the world.  As followers of Christ, we simply need to follow those that He places in positions of authority through the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse eight adds, And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan.  Joshua was to tell the priests that when they came to the Jordan that they were to stand still in the Jordan.  They were now on the brink of passing over to the promised land.  We today will always be on the brink of the promised as long as we live.  We will not pass over into the promised land until God brings us there.

Joshua 2:15

Joshua 2:15 says, Then she let them down by a cord through the window: for her house was upon the town wall, and she dwelt upon the wall.  Rahab lived in a house on the town wall.  I guess some people would say that the spies were fortunate that she did, but I believe that God was at work even before the spies got there.  Rahab had acknowledged the power of the God of Israel.  Verse sixteen states,  And she said unto them, Get you to the mountain, lest the pursuers meet you; and hide yourselves there three days, until the pursuers be returned: and afterward may ye go your way.  Before she let them down, she told the two spies to go to the mountains and hide for three days until the pursuers left, then go on their way.  She wasn't just helping them get out of the city, but she was telling them how to get safely out of the country.  When we present the gospel and someone accepts it, then that person will get safely to his or her heavenly home.  The gospel is not just a way to escape a temporary situation, but is a way to everlasting salvation.  Verse seventeen declares, And the men said  a way unto her, We will be blameless of this thine oath which thou hast made us swear.  Then verse eighteen adds, Behold, when we come into the land, thou shalt bind this line of scarlet thread in the window which thou didst let us down by: and thou shalt bring thy father, and thy mother, and thy brethren, and all thy father’s household, home unto thee.  The two spies said that in order for them to be blameless in the oath that Rahab was going to have to take some action when they returned.  She was to bind a line of scarlet thread to her window and have her family there with her.  Though Christ died for the sins of all people, if His death is to have any impact in our life, we must take the action of accepting His sacrifice individually.  Of course, we cannot accept salvation for our family, but we can share the gospel with them.  Verse nineteen continues, And it shall be, that whosoever shall go out of the doors of thy house into the street, his blood shall be upon his head, and we will be guiltless: and whosoever shall be with thee in the house, his blood shall be on our head, if any hand be upon him.  The spies told Rahab that if anyone went out of the house that they were responsible if any harm came to them.  As long as they remained in the house, the spies would be accountable if any harm came to those inside.  As long as we remain faithful in our spiritual relationship to Christ, then if harm were to come to us, spiritually He would be responsible, but this will never happen.  Also, the spies had to believe that when they returned that they would be victorious, and we today know that we are already victorious through our faith in Christ if we have accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty concludes,  And if thou utter this our business, then we will be quit of thine oath which thou hast made us to swear.   Rahab had to be faithful in not telling anyone what she had done or what the spies were to do for her.  Now, we do not have to be silent about what God has done for us, but are told to share the good news of Christ with everyone.  That is the way that we are faithful in our relationship to Christ.  Verse twenty-one declares,  And she said, According unto your words, so be it. And she sent them away, and they departed: and she bound the scarlet line in the window.  Rahab agreed, and the spies departed and she bound the scarlet ribbon to the window.  She was already preparing for their return.  We today must be preparing for the return of Christ, even if it does not happen in our lifetime.  When He does return, it will be to late to accept His salvation.  Verse twenty-two says, And they went, and came unto the mountain, and abode there three days, until the pursuers were gone: and the pursuers sought them throughout all the way, but found them not.  The two spies went to the mountain and hid for three days as Rahab had advised them to do, and they were not found.  Verse twenty-three adds, So the two men returned, and descended from the mountain, and passed over, and came to Joshua the son of Nun, and told him all things that befell them:  After the three days passed, the spies returned safely back over the Jordan and gave their report.  If we have accepted Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we are already assured that we will pass safely out of this life and into our heavenly home.  Verse twenty-four concludes, And they said unto Joshua, Truly the LORD hath delivered into our hands all the land; for even all the inhabitants of the country do faint because of us.  These spies declared that God had already delivered the land to them and that the people there fainted at even the mention of the name of the Israelites, and more specifically their God.  Lost people and those who are actively working against God may not faint when they come into contact with a Christian, but the victory is already ours through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross.  As then, the victory and honor go to God.

Joshua 2:1

Joshua 2:1 says, And Joshua the son of Nun sent out of Shittim two men to spy secretly, saying, Go view the land, even Jericho. And they went, and came into an harlot’s house, named Rahab, and lodged there.  These spies weren't sent to see if the people of Israel should go into the land, but to get the lay of the land.  They came to Rahab, the harlot's house.  One thing we need to remember is that women had very few rights in those days, so this likely wasn't her choice of what to be in life.  We should be careful about judging people based strictly on what they do.  Verse two states, And it was told the king of Jericho, saying, Behold, there came men in hither to night of the children of Israel to search out the country.  The king of Jericho was made aware of the presence of the two spies.  Verse three adds, And the king of Jericho sent unto Rahab, saying, Bring forth the men that are come to thee, which are entered into thine house: for they be come to search out all the country.  The king not only knew that they were in the country and why they were there, but he knew where they were.  This could have been Rahab's opportunity to profit from telling the king what he wanted to know, or she could have let her fear compel her to tell him.  When we are serving God, we cannot afford to be guided by profit or fear.  Verse four declares,  And the woman took the two men, and hid them, and said thus, There came men unto me, but I wist not whence they were:  Rahab hid the two spies then lied to the king, telling him that they had been there but they left and se didn't know where they went.  Had the king found them there, the spies wouldn't have been the only ones who have likely been killed, but Rahab would have too.  We must stand up for what is right even it puts us in danger.  Verse five adds, And it came to pass about the time of shutting of the gate, when it was dark, that the men went out: whither the men went I wot not: pursue after them quickly; for ye shall overtake them.  Rahab said they the two men had gone out at about the time of the closing of the gate, and if they hurried they might catch them.  She continued in her lie to protect these two men, who were strangers to her.  Verse six proclaims, But she had brought them up to the roof of the house, and hid them with the stalks of flax, which she had laid in order upon the roof.  The two spies were hidden on the roof, and were evidently effectively hidden.  Verse seven adds, And the men pursued after them the way to Jordan unto the fords: and as soon as they which pursued after them were gone out, they shut the gate.  Those looking for the spies chased them to the Jordan, and as soon as they left in pursuit the gate was closed.  Now, the spies were trapped inside the city walls, so it would have still looked very uncertain to them that they could escape.  When things look bad and we are on a mission from God, we need to remember that He is still in charge.  Verse eight states, And before they were laid down, she came up unto them upon the roof;  Then verse nine adds,  And she said unto the men, I know that the LORD hath given you the land, and that your terror is fallen upon us, and that all the inhabitants of the land faint because of you.  Rahab came to the two spies and said she recognized the power of their God.  The first step anyone can take today in order to claim salvation through faith in Christ is to recognize Who God is.  Verse ten says, For we have heard how the LORD dried up the water of the Red sea for you, when ye came out of Egypt; and what ye did unto the two kings of the Amorites, that were on the other side Jordan, Sihon and Og, whom ye utterly destroyed.  Rahab said they knew of the power of the God of Israel.  It was not the people of Israel themselves that they gave credit to, but their God.  Many people today recognize the power of God, but instead of acknowledging Him, they want to discredit Him.  Verse eleven adds, And as soon as we had heard these things, our hearts did melt, neither did there remain any more courage in any man, because of you: for the LORD your God, he is God in heaven above, and in earth beneath.  Instead of wanting to come into a right relationship with God, the people simply were very afraid of Him.  If we do not accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, then we have every reason to fear God.  Verse twelve continues, Now therefore, I pray you, swear unto me by the LORD, since I have shewed you kindness, that ye will also shew kindness unto my father’s house, and give me a true token:  Rahab asked that they show mercy to her  and her father's house, just as she had shown mercy to them.  Verse thirteen declares,  And that ye will save alive my father, and my mother, and my brethren, and my sisters, and all that they have, and deliver our lives from death.  I don't know how Rahab got into the position that she was in, but she wasn't just concerned about herself.  She was concerned for her whole family.  We today should be just as concerned for our families.  Verse fourteen concludes,  And the men answered her, Our life for yours, if ye utter not this our business. And it shall be, when the LORD hath given us the land, that we will deal kindly and truly with thee.  The two spies agreed with what Rahab had asked them to do.  We today need to help others come to know Christ, whether they have helped us or not.

Joshua 1:10

Joshua 1:10 says, Then Joshua commanded the officers of the people, saying,  Then verse eleven adds, Pass through the host, and command the people, saying, Prepare you victuals; for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land, which the LORD your God giveth you to possess it.  Joshua sent word throughout the people of Israel to get ready, because within three days they were to cross over Jordan to possess the land that God had promised them.  He did not send spies nor did they vote on it.  They were simply told to be ready to go.  When we know what God wants us to do, we simply need to get ready and do it as soon s possible.  Verse twelve states,  And to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to half the tribe of Manasseh, spake Joshua, saying,  Then verse thirteen continues, Remember the word which Moses the servant of the  LORD commanded you, saying, The LORD your God hath given you rest, and hath given you this land.  Joshua told the Reubenites, the  Gadites and half the tribe of Manasseh the promise to them from God by Moses had not been forgotten.  Joshua was the new leader, but a promise made by God through Moses still applied.  Verse fourteen declares, Your wives, your little ones, and your cattle, shall remain in the land which Moses gave you on this side Jordan; but ye shall pass before your brethren armed, all the mighty men of valour, and help them;  Joshua said that as Moses had told them that they would remain on this side of the Jordan, but that their mighty men would go with the rest of the nation to help secure the land on the other side.  Even if we remain where we are when we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord, we have a responsibility to do all that we can to help our fellow believers throughout the world.  We cannot just sit in safety and ignore what is going on with other Christians who are suffering for their faith.  Verse fifteen adds, Until the LORD have given your brethren rest, as he hath given you, and they also have possessed the land which the LORD your God giveth them: then ye shall return unto the land of your possession, and enjoy it, which Moses the LORD’s servant gave you on this side Jordan toward the sunrising.  Joshua said that once the land on the other side of the Jordan was secured, then the men could return to their peace on this side of the Jordan as Moses had commanded.  Joshua did not change the promise of God made through Moses.  We should never attempt to change the promise of God made to others today, but as Christians, must still be united as one people under the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  Verse sixteen declares, And they answered Joshua, saying, All that thou commandest us we will do, and whithersoever thou sendest us, we will go.  These two and a half tribes agreed to do all that Joshua commanded.  They could have said that since Moses was dead that hey would just stay where they were as he had promised, but they were willing to follow Joshua's command.  When one church leader dies today, or even just leaves the position of leadership in a particular church, we as followers of Christ must be willing to follow the next person that God places in that position.  Verse seventeen continues, According as we hearkened unto Moses in all things, so will we hearken unto thee: only the LORD thy God be with thee, as he was with Moses.  They said that they would listen to Joshua as they did to Moses, as long as God was with Joshua as He was with Moses.  The only way to know for sure if God was with Joshua was to follow him and see if God continued to work through him as He did through Moses.  If someone new comes into a position of leadership in a particular church, then they must follow God's teachings and directions if we are to follow them.  We may only know after we start to follow their leadership.  If they begin to teach things that are contrary to God's word, then we should point this out, and if the refuse to change what they are teaching, then we should seek God's will as to the best way to handle the situation.  We should never refuse to accept this new leader simply because we liked the old one better.  Verse eighteen concludes, Whosoever he be that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death: only be strong and of a good courage.  They made a strong commitment to Joshua.  Anyone who rebelled against Joshua would be put to death.  We need that same unity and commitment to Christ today.

Joshua 1:1

Joshua 1:1 says, Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying,  Moses had died after the wilderness wanderings, and God chose Joshua to be the new leader.  Joshua was one of the spies who had said that the people of Israel should go into the Promised Land all those years ago.  The people were going to need a leader who had a strong faith in God.  Verse two states, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.  God had told Moses that even though the people of Israel would be allowed to go into the Promised Land when the generation that lacked the faith to do so had died, that Moses himself would not be allowed to.  Like Moses, no matter how close we are to God, our actions bring consequences in this life.  God told Joshua it was now time to go over the Jordan into the land that God gave them.  Verse three declares, Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.  God did not say that whatever land they could conquer would be theirs, but that everywhere they set foot God would give them.  We today do not have to fight to claim our heavenly home, but God has already giving it to us if we put our faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord.  The battle is already won.  Verse four adds, From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.  God defined the land that was to be theirs.  I believe that this was so that Joshua would know when the people had claimed all the land that God had promised them.  Even though Joshua had been told that wherever their foot trod would be theirs, this was still under the guidance of God.  Defining the area kept them from not going far enough or from going too far.  When we follow Christ today, we must make sure that we are following where He directs us to go.  Verse five says, There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail, nor forsake thee.  God made a promise to Joshua, but this was based on Joshua remaining faithful to Him.  God would be with Joshua just as He had been with Moses, and no one could stand against Joshua as long as he lived.  God will be with us the same way today, and as long as we live by faith in Him, no one can stand against us to keep us out of the Promised Land, which for us is heaven.  Verse six states, Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I sware unto their fathers to give them.  God told Joshua to be strong and of good courage.  Joshua had proven himself to be that way before, and he needed to continue to do so.  If we have been strong and of good courage in the past in our relationship with God, we need to continue to be so for as long as we live.  God said that He was going to fulfill the promise made to their fathers, and He will fulfill the promise made to all who believe in Christ when He declares the time to be right.  Verse seven adds, Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.  God told Joshua to be strong and very courageous under the law that He had given Moses.  Joshua was not to turn from it in any way.  We today must be courageous through our relationship to Christ, never deviating in our faith.  God's law has not changed, and we are to be guided by it.  Verse eight continues, This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.  Like Joshua, we cannot depart from God's law if we are to be successful in our spiritual journey.  Also, like Joshua, we are to meditate on the law of God day and night so that we walk in His law.  When we do, we will prosper spiritually.  Verse nine concludes, Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.  Once again, God commanded Joshua to be strong and of good courage, because God was going to be with him wherever he went.  We today have that promise in an even greater way.  Wherever we go as followers of Christ, God is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit.  If we are being obedient to God, we never have to fear anything in this world.

We will review some of the things we learned from Philippians.  First, we should be thankful for our fellow Christians and let them know that we are.  Paul was continually writing to his fellow believers to let them know how much they meant to him.  We today can do so much more easily than he could.  We have almost instantaneous communication today, so we should utilize it for God's glory and the edification of our fellow believers.  The next thing we learn is that circumstances should not determine our willingness to praise God.  Paul was in prison, but he still praised God.  Along the same line, we should not allow our material status to determine our contentment in life.  Paul said he was content if he had an abundance or if he had a lack, and so should we be.  Paul warned us to beware of those who preached the gospel as being a way to material success.  Also, like the believers at Philippi, we should be willing to give to support those who are doing God's work and have a need.  I don't believe that we are to give so that they can have everything they desire, but everything that God says that they need.  We also need to realize that at times our fellow believers are going to disagree with each other, and when they do we need to help them settle their differences so that they will not interfere with the spreading of the gospel.  We must all work together through the leadership of the Holy Spirit if we are to successfully share the gospel with the world.  Finally, like Paul, we must claim the promise that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.  I believe that through Christ means under His leadership, and when we are following His leadership we can do anything that we need to do by the power of the Holy Spirit to accomplish what we have been called to do.  This is not a promise that we can do anything that we desire or decide to do, but that we can do anything that God calls us to do, by His power.